Chapter 5 His office

Chapter 5

It's been two days since everything happened, but until now... I can barely talk to Quiy properly. If she's not staring blankly, she's crying, and then she goes silent again.

I'm starting to worry because there are nights when she wakes up in the middle of the night due to nightmares.

She was never like this before... so today, even though I didn't want to, I took leave from work to personally meet with Damien to talk about his offer.

But since I don't know where he lives, I had to swallow my pride and ask the Governor's staff where I could find him. Fortunately, they told me right away and even gave me his number.

I left Quiy with Heidi for this meeting. Before leaving, I promised her that I would come back with Damien. That was the first time I saw her smile again, which gave me the strength to go through with my decision.

"Ma'am, Sir asked if you could wait in his office. The last team's presentation is almost over, so he'll be here soon," said a man who introduced himself as Paul when I arrived at Damien's office.

I confirmed the address with the Governor's staff, which I then relayed to the driver. I also called the number they gave me, which is how I ended up here.

"Thank you," I replied as I followed him. He responded with a polite smile, and I continued walking.

When he stopped in front of a door, I did the same. He opened it and invited me in. Immediately, I was greeted by the clean and fragrant interior of a spacious office.

I noticed how organized everything was. There was a long black sofa next to a large bookshelf, his desk with two chairs in front, a few paintings on the walls, and a treadmill in the corner.

"Please wait here, Ma'am," he said, gesturing to the sofa. "Would you like something to eat while you wait?" he added, but I shook my head. He nodded in acknowledgment of my response.

I let out a deep sigh when I was finally alone in the room. I sat down and finally had a moment to think in the silence.

My decision was firm before I came here, but now that I'm alone in this room, I can't help but have second thoughts.

I waited for more or less ten minutes before the door opened, revealing Damien in his suit and tie. He looked formal and stoic when he first entered, making my palms sweat. He looked so different from when we last saw each other.

I stood up to acknowledge his presence, discreetly wiping my palms before taking a deep breath to calm myself. I reminded myself that I was doing this for my daughter. That was my only intention.

"I'm sorry I made you wait," he said as he stood before me. I swallowed the bile in my throat for the nth time before I finally managed to smile and nod.

"It's okay. I just really wanted to talk to you about Quiy," I said. I know I caught his attention because I saw his forehead crease.

"What about my daughter?" he asked, concern evident in his tone.

"I won't beat around the bush," I began because I wanted to get it over with. I had to clear my throat because of my slight stutter.

"I'm here because I want to know if your offer is still open... because... I'm willing to accept it," I said bravely. I held my breath for a few moments because my heart was pounding so loudly.

"Offer? What offer was it again?" he asked, not helping my anxiety. He walked over to his desk and sat in his swivel chair, so I followed, though I didn't sit in the chair opposite him, even when he offered.

"The one... where you wanted to be a part of our lives?" I felt like I was melting with embarrassment, but since I was already here and had started, it was too late to back out.

I never imagined I'd find myself in this situation, but I'm desperate for my daughter, so this is better than seeing her sad and silent every day.

He didn't speak, busy staring at me as if he was assessing whether he heard correctly or if it was all just his imagination.

"What about it?" he asked as he shifted in his seat, now leaning back, head tilted to one side, and arms crossed over his chest.

"I'm agreeing to what you want," I said, recalling the past few days. I closed my eyes tightly, trying to find the right words.

"Agreeing to what?"

I took a deep breath. "That you become a part of our lives..." I said, my voice growing fainter with each word because I wasn't sure if they were in the right order. "But this is only because I want her to be okay. She hasn't spoken in two days. She's having nightmares, she's not eating right, and she looks lonely all the time," I said nonstop to save myself from what I had just said.

"Does this include the marriage? That's part of what I want."

The way he uttered that last sentence, it wasn't even a question.

"T-That's not necessary if all you want is to make Quiy happy. I'm only offering to let you be a father figure... for now," I said quietly, playing with my nails because I couldn't bring myself to look at him.

There was silence after I said that, but then his laughter echoed through the room.

"You're right. I want to make the little kid happy through my presence in her life, but I want the marriage to come with it too," he said, his tone leaving no room for negotiation. If the marriage isn't part of the deal, there's no deal at all.

"Don't you just want to be a father to my daughter? Why do we need to get married if that's all you want?" I said, and I wasn't even sure if what I was saying made any sense. I just don't think it's a good idea for us to get married.

Even now, I still couldn't bring myself to look at him because, based on the tone of his voice earlier, he was dead serious, and I didn't know if I could face him like that, so I kept my head down.

"Are you talking to me or to the floor? If you want something from me, look at me," he ordered, so even though I didn't want to, I forced myself to look at him again.

"You're the one who wants this," I corrected him. "If it weren't for Quiy, you'd never see us. And... I know you're just concerned about the child, which is why you're doing this, just like I am, which is why I'm here-"

"Exactly! Since you want me to be a father to Quiy, why don't we take it all the way?"

I cut him off and said, "I thought marriage was sacred to you? Why do you want to marry someone you don't even know?"

He didn't say a word after that question. It caught him off guard, and I was ready to celebrate because I silenced him, but not yet.

"If you rejected me before, then I'm rejecting you now. I won't agree to whatever you want if it doesn't come with marriage."

As much as I wanted to walk out of that place, I didn't because the promise I made to my daughter kept echoing in my mind-the promise to come home with Damien.

"It's that or nothing," I heard him say from his seat, which only made me more pressured.

"Why do you want this marriage so badly?" I asked to buy some time and perhaps find a reason to agree to what he wants.

He raised an eyebrow, as if to say, "Isn't it obvious?" Well, it might be obvious to him, but to me... not so much, so I wanted more clarity.

He didn't answer my question about that earlier, so I'll try again now.

"As you may see, we have a reputation to maintain. Having a good image in front of the public is important to us, especially since my uncle is a politician," he said, never taking his eyes off me.

"I also don't want people to think I'm an irresponsible person who, after having a child with a woman, can't even marry her."

"But Quiy isn't even your child," I replied.

He responded with a shake of his head. "That's not what people think now. With what happened at the event that night, they've already marked me as married with a child. Imagine what they'll think if they find out it was all a lie?" He ended with a deep sigh.

"I also think it's good for our daughter-"

"My daughter," I corrected him because he was being too possessive. I glared at him, and he just chuckled at my reaction.

"Sure," he said before continuing. "But just imagine if someone asks her at school when she's studying, right? I'm just thinking about the future here," he uttered the words coolly.

Because of what he said, I couldn't help but think about Quiy's future. She doesn't even know that I'm not her real mother because I've been the only parent she's known since she was a child.

"If I agree to marry you, there should be conditions," I said as I slowly began to accept the reality.

A playful smirk appeared on his lips, but it was brief because he quickly hid it by pursing them.

"What conditions? Tell me, and maybe we can discuss it. Who knows, I might agree," he said with a hint of teasing.

Really now? The way he talks, it's like I'm the desperate one between the two of us? Just the other day, he was the one pushing me. Now, it's like the tables have turned, and I'm the one begging? He's really good at manipulation!

"If we get married, you can't touch me-"

"How's that even possible? We're.

To Be Continued...